Humanitarian Relief

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." ~ Matthew 25:35-36

One of the major concerns in UCF's mission to improve the lives and well-being of the Sri Lankan people is it's humanitarian relief projects. These projects include emergency relief to provide much needed supplies in disaster stricken areas, distribution of mosquito nets to protect against the threats of malaria and dengue , and work among victims from the decades long civil war, which ended in 2009.

Disaster Relief Programme to flood and landslide victims - June 2018

We are pleased to report that we completed the flood relief programme on the 1st of June for those affected by the recent floods and landslide in Moratuwa and Neboda areas. The programme was carried out in our Fellowship Centers in Moratuwa and Neboda. We distributed boxes of dry rations containing 16 food items, including coconuts to 100 families who were affected. In the Moratuwa slum community where many people are living in huts, the roofs of their houses were blown off. Some of the children of these families attend our nursery school while some attend our church services at Bethel Fellowship Center Moratuwa. In Neboda many families lost their belongings to the flood, while we were unable to hold church services there for two Sundays due to the rising water levels. In Neboda, there were many non Christians too who benefitted from the relief programme. Our field staff selected these families after having visited them and assessed their needs. These families are very thankful to the UCF for this kind gesture in their time of need.​ We are grateful and humbly thank all our prayer partners for your support and encouragement at this time of need.

Emergency Flood Relief Assistance - June 2017

In consequence to the severe floods and landslide disaster which occurred on the 25th of May 2017, the UCFSL took the initiative of granting emergency flood relief assistance to the church community and other communities residing in and around the UCF fellowship center at Neboda which got devastated due to the intensity of the floods causing severe damage to the church building as well. Both the church community and the other communities in and around Neboda suffered heavy losses and damages resulting in loss of lives and many thousands were displaced as a result. The UCFSL distributed dry rations comprising of about 16 items to many families who were badly affected in the area. This program was held at the UCF church premises in Neboda. The Officer in Charge of the Tebuwana Police Station (covering Neboda area) on instruction of the Senior Superintendent of Police Kalutara District and also the village Headman of Neboda area were present. It was a great blessing to the victims who received the boxes of dry rations and they highly appreciated this magnanimous gesture of goodwill afforded to them and this program was a great success. Apart from this we provided flood relief assistance to the church community and other communities in and around Badureliya area with the help of Pastor Sumith, in charge of the Christian Fellowship Center there. It was a great blessing to these families who were struck by this disaster. We are thankful to all our prayer partners for their continuous generosity which enabled us to grant assistance to those affected families.

​Emergency Flood Relief, Pahangama Village, Hanwella - June 2016

​The UCFSL provided emergency flood relief dry ration food boxes containing 13 items to nearly 150 families in Hanwella area on the 1st of June 2016. This was organized by Nalinda who is living in Pahangama village in Hanwella and families were gathered at a safer place for distributon. Many thousands of families were severely affected by the disastrous weather prevailing in the country. Torrential rain and flooding altogether with mudslides buried villages and its people. Many people were stranded and families are scattered. The nation as a whole was affected by this natural disaster.At this juncture, we were able to provide 150 boxes of dry ration food items to the affected families in Pahangama village in Hanwella. This was one of the emergency programmes we were able to conduct, however limited, due to our capacity and availability of resources. We would like to thank our friends and prayer partners for your generous contribution to help some of the flood affected victims.Moreover, you are welcome to further contribute towards our efforts in this programme, which will be a helping hand in providing more victims with blankets, towels, sanitary items, school materials to children, etc which have become urgent needs right now.

Humanitarian Relief Programme, Narahenpita - March 2016

Food parcels to families living in a slum community area in Narahenpita was provided by the UCF through Mr. Srinath Perera, the UCF Legal Advisor. The families living in this community are in great need and leads very destitute lives. Hence we believe these dry ration parcels will provide them some relief. This act of kindness was directed to show love and compassion as demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ.​The Lord has always kept and will keep His promise to the poor and needy. We thank God for His provisions. Because of your prayers and support we are able to continue to help the needy.​“I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food” Psalms 132:15

Relief Assistance in Polwatta, Moratuwa - August 2015

The UCF has provided urgent relief assistance to the families in the fishing community in the coastal area in Moratuwa. These families are an isolated segment in the society. They live in the slum and sometimes are not able to have a single meal for a day. There are 65 families who are living in this area and we provided bags of dry rations to these families where they can feed themselves.

“Oh God, you provided for the poor” Psalms 68:10.

We thank God for keeping His promise.

Flood Relief Programme - January 2015

​UCFSL was actively involved in providing relief to the flood victims in the Dambulla and Anuradhapura areas where many thousands were displaced to show our love and compassion. The relief programme was held in the UCF Community Center in Dambulla and in the village of Kalaththawe in Anuradhapura in January.

UCFSL provided a pack of dry rations containing 8 items to 100 badly affected families who had been identified for the programme. They included believers and non-believers. The event was organized by our co-worker in Dambulla.

Landslide Disaster Relief Programmes - November 2014

Diyanagala Disaster Relief Programme

Moragolla Disaster Relief Programme

Many thousands of laborers work and live on the hilly mountainous tea plantations of Sri Lanka. These are very low income families; some even with almost no income at all.

The area of Koslanda experienced continuous rain commencing the last week in October. On the 29th October 2014, tragedy struck the hilly slopes of Koslanda and a massive landslide occurred, burying a large number of houses situated along the slopes of the mountain. It was reported that more than 300 people lost their lives, with entire families engulfed by the mountain of wet sand that covered them. Those who escaped the landslide were camped in community halls and in other school halls close to the affected area. Many children, who were attending school at the time, lost both parents and were orphaned.

This sad event was reported both day and night by the local media with requests for material assistance to those who had survived. This is a rare occurrence; a landslide of this scale has not been experienced previously in Sri Lanka.

Therefore, to show our love and compassion at that tragic time, UCF upheld the survivors in prayer and was subsequently able to reach the stricken area, which had been cordoned off for security purposes, later to help by providing 150 families who were living in the camps of Moragolla and Diyanagala in Hali Ela of Badulla District with boxes of dry ration food items and blankets, towels, and soap. UCF conducted the disaster relief programme in both camps amidst heavy rain.

UCF still seeks your prayers and contributions in whatever way possible in order to show our love and compassion through action, as demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ.

”Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and you will honor me” Psalm 50:15

Landslide Disaster, Koslanda, Badulla District

Rev. Fernando recently met with officials at the Disaster Relief Management Office in Koslanda, the village destroyed by a recent landslide on 29 October 2014.

UCFSL would like to help the victims, many of whom have lost everything, by providing them with some basic supplies and dry rations.

Additionally, they will be needing basic building supplies to rebuild their homes lost in the landslide. UCFSL hopes to help these villagers in this effort in the future. Your donations, big and small, are most appreciated as we seek to demonstrate God's love to the landslide victims.

Emergency Flood Relief Programmes- July 2014

Click on images below to enlarge

Raigama village is situated at Bandaragama in the western part of Sri Lanka. Although a predominantly a non-Christian village, many of our believers live in this village. Due to the heavy rain that had ocurred the area was heavily flooded. A large number of houses in this small area were filled with 6-7 ft. of water and as a result the belongings of most families were destroyed. The people were evacuated and housed temporarily in the local school. UCF provided the believers and others, irrespective of race or religious background, with emergency flood relief, such as dry ration boxes, medicines and mosquito nets. Emergency flood relief was also provided to some believers and others in Badureliya in the western sector of Sri Lanka.This area too was badly affected by floods.Families earn their livelihood by working on the rubber plantations as labourers.They too lost their possessions and some deaths were recorded in the western sector as a result of the heavy flooding.

“He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea” Pslams 102:17

Torrential Rainfall in Western Province 2014

Torrential rainfall during month of June, especially in Western Province of Sri Lanka brought with it flash floods and landslides. Consequently, many families have become displaced and some are reported dead. The areas include mainly Kaluthara, Mathugama, Neboda, Raigama where some of our ministries are located. By the time of writing this report, heavy rain still continues. In Raigama area (Bandaragama) many victims and their families were taken to a safe place. Further, people are warned for precautions as dengue fever is also significantly spreading. Amidst all difficulty, Rev. Fernando was able to visit some families in Raigama, Bandaragama and in Baduraeliya. Among the displaced were some known faces that belong to our church. As an emergency relief we were able to provide some food packets in a very limited capacity. S

“Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble” Psalms 41:1